rpegilly

Sybaris, an ancient Greek city in modern-day southern Italy, was founded in 720 BC by the Achaeans (one of four tribes that composed the Archaic Greek peoples) to cultivate more fertile (and flatter) lands. The city grew into one of the largest Greek city-states in the region, thanks to its agricultural success and open-gate policy for alien citizens. The prosperity of Sybaris allowed leisure time for hedonistic pursuits, which in turn led to culinary expertise and innovation, and which in...

Although patent licensing authorities, or similar patent enforcement entities, are well known in the modern patent landscape, the practice has interesting historical roots. In 1895, the U.S. Patent Office issued George Selden, a young patent lawyer and inventor from New York, a patent (No. 549,160, the "'160 patent") covering a road vehicle powered by a modified Brayton-type gasoline engine, a patent that would not expire until 1912. Selden had filed his original application back in 1879,...

Ah Venice… beautiful canals, delicious cuisine, stunning architecture, and . . . the birthplace of patent law. In 1416, the Venetian Senate decided that, to protect artisans, it would begin handing out grants called privilegia. These protections were established on a case-by-case basis and were more akin to permits for inventors and printers to monopolize their creations or works, rather than a direct recognition of an individual's rights/protections. The Venetian government went still...